A history of innovation

More and more efficient solutions

Since taking its first pioneering steps in the manufacture of glasswool insulation in 1930, Saint-Gobain has followed a path of continuous improvement and innovation that has brought it, today, to its position as the world's leading insulation company.

In the early years, the company's focus on production technology and fibre quality led to the development of its world-leading TEL process. This ground breaking process literally turned glasswool production technology on its head, introducing the concept of centrifugal force and hot-air attenuation to produce a completely new generation of glass fibre of a quality and consistency never before envisaged.

As the business expanded, and the company continued to develop worldwide on the basis of its technological excellence, the focus moved to customer service. Every aspect of customer service was reviewed and improved, with particular attention on key issues such as IT, logistics and palletisation. This led to another breakthrough - this time in logistics, with the introduction of the ISOVER Multipack, a unique and innovative packaging concept that meant, henceforth, all insulating products were available on pallets in standard sizes - a massive bonus for customers, and the company.

In the aftermath of the energy crises, the focus in recent years has been firmly on developing new cost-effective high efficiency insulation solutions for the technical and structural markets, providing customers with solutions that enable them to meet the growing raft of regulations and legislation, with ever increasing levels of comfort and energy saving. Working closely with world-leading industrial companies, shipbuilders and marine engineers, and process engineers and system manufacturers, the company's technical, sales and research personnel have developed world-leading solutions to the widest range of technically demanding insulation requirements.

In every area, innovation continues to be the driver, with new and exciting insulation products continuously expanding our solution portfolio.
One of the biggest breakthroughs in recent years has been the development of ULTIMATE. After a research programme lasting more than a decade, this unique generation of glasswool products, which combine the high temperature capabilities of stonewool, with the performance and weight advantages of traditional glasswool, was launched in 2004. Critically acclaimed and multi award-winning, this breakthrough in insulation technology opened up a whole range of new opportunities, particularly for marine and industrial customers.

For further information on the history of innovation within ISOVER and Saint-Gobain please see www.isover.com